I know some on here has publicly expressed that GT could do better than CPJ and it’s possible, but they could also do worse. Personally, I think he and GT has settled in their niche after having some coaching turnover on the defensive and special teams side, it seemed to take a while for it to all jell, but I think they now have a good product that can consistently win their division a fair amount and reach a 9+ win season more often than not. I’m drinking the GT kool-aid for at least this season and think they get to 10 wins and win their division.

I think they could recruit better given the talent in the state and have solid teams. He’s been streaky, mostly while FSU and CU were down. But they are strong now and GT’s division got a lot better with coaching upgrades. UNC/Miami/VT are going to tough sledding. GT might catch 1 off guard but likely needs to beat 2 to win the division and not other screw-ups, not seeing it.

His style and personality hurt his cause, but you can’t argue with his success. VT and Miami are in much better shape than in the late Beamer and Golden eras, but he did win in Blacksburg this year.

On the positive side, he’s beaten Georgia two out of three and gives Florida State fits whenever they play.

Last year was a big year for PJ, and he checked most of the boxes with nine wins and a second straight win in Athens. He’s basically working in 2-year windows at this point in his tenure, and this is the start of a new window. Roll a couple of 6-6s in 2017 and 2018, and it might be time to move on. But odds are at least one of those years he surprises and finishes in or just outside the Top 25 with a notable upset.

I know we need to do it for a year or two more before we draw too many conclusions from the CU v GT game and I know CU had 2 championship caliber team but Venables has been OWNING GT lately. Last year they only got 124 yards as a 9 win team. Even if GT can make it to the ACCCG if they are getting dominated by Clemson each time then it might be time to move on.

Yes Venables could leave at any time but he could be around a long time too. Not every team has the athletes it takes to suffocate GT’s offense but right not Clemson does. FSU does too but they need a better DC. Last years game with Clemson is the blueprint.

I can’t help but feel like his apprentice Ken Niumatalolo would do a better job. If he’s doing the same thing CPJ is doing win wise at Navy, think of what he could do at a larger school on a larger stage like GT. Need someone younger and more energetic, need to recruit better. My god you are in Atlanta, the heart of GA which is a recruiting hotbed. Option is hard to sell but dang, you are struggling that much? I don’t know. Never been a fan of CPJ, but I just feel like a change could do them good.

UGA and the rest of the SEC Least are just facades though. Hard to judge them against an SEC Least team when that division has been straight trash for multiple years.

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2()17 CHAMPS

If you’re happy with good enough, then good enough is what you’ll be. Greatness requires the expectation of excellence.

Chan Gailey recruited about as well as you can recruit at GT…look at all the talent he had and it still will never be enough to overcome UGa. They are never going to own Georgia like Clemson can own South Carolina despite being the Ag/Tech school. I think Johnson is the right fit for them to not try to compete head to head for players but still win a lot. He has a pretty impressive record…but his people skills do hurt his cause.

I still think he is the right fit after he righted the ship last season.

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“Looks like the upper hand is on the other foot!”
- President Tug Benson, Hot Shots! Part Deux (1993)

GT is somewhere between the 3rd and 5th best job in the Coastal, depending on your opinion of Pitt and UNC. In that time, he’s 42-30 in the league (with playing Clemson annually). Been to 3 of 9 ACCGs (second in the Coastal to VT with 4), and has a league title and a NY6 bowl win. 3-6 vs. UGA isn’t great, but it’s a lot better than 1-5, which he was two years ago, and I think most GT fans would gladly take 3 or 4 wins over a 10-year period against UGA.

GT has a large amount of international students and people from around the nation that attend. They don’t have the same local rabid fan base that most football-centric schools have. Their alumni get their education and move on. For that reason, they probably don’t have the same pressure to excel in football or really any sport for that matter. Paul Johnson would have already ready been run out of town at a place like FSU, Clemson and maybe Miami just to name a few in the ACC.

I think Matt’s assessment is a good one. He does enough to keep his job, but is 2 bad seasons from being replaced.

I would not worry about recruiting rankings for the offense, they seem to get the guys that fit their system just fine, though they could use another Demaryius Thomas type at WR, but those are once in a decade type players at that position and even hard for the football factories to get a player of that caliber. On defense they have a good coach and seem to be ok most years, a handful of four and 5 star gets on defense per year could really help them turn a corner and stay on top of their division.

Demaryius Thomas? How about Calvin Johnson? Problem is those WR types are totally wasted space at GT now. GT doesn’t throw the ball anymore, not since CPJ took over. Which is part of the reason they are easier to beat now. Figure out the option and they are no threat.

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2()17 CHAMPS

If you’re happy with good enough, then good enough is what you’ll be. Greatness requires the expectation of excellence.

I can’t stand watching that team play.. Georgia Tech will never win anything of any importance as long as Paul Johnson is there running that garbage offense.

Agreed 100%. However I would amend the statement to win nothing worth anything. They might win some bowls and what not, coot style they can have success to their program but win no real hardware on the national scale.

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2()17 CHAMPS

If you’re happy with good enough, then good enough is what you’ll be. Greatness requires the expectation of excellence.